A Christmas Carol
by SK Dark Dragon
Summary: A parody on "A Christmas Carol" with a humorous YuGiOh twist. -Completed! READ AND REVIEW!-
1. Chapter 1: The Priest's Warning

A Christmas Carol  
  
Notes: ^_^ Hi all, and welcome to my little mini-story, a parody on A Christmas Carol with a little YGO twist. ^_~  
  
  
  
"In other notes, this is NOT part of our YuGiOh series, but just a side fic, if anyone is reading our other stories and was wondering why some things are different. ^^;;"  
  
^-^ Anyway, enjoy.  
  
***********  
  
Chapter One: The Priest's Warning  
  
It was a chilly and frosty day in Domino City, Japan, as sixteen-year old Seto Kaiba, the wealthy president of Kaiba Corporation walked along the icy sidewalks toward his home.  
  
It had been a long day at his company, as he'd been trying to tie all the loose ends together before the Christmas holidays, since, after all, it WAS Christmas Eve. Seto sighed, looking up at the gray sky above which seem to threaten to pour down more snow upon the city.  
  
"At least Mokuba will be happy about that," Seto thought to himself, kicking a pebble across the ice, where it skidded and crashed into the wall of a brick building.  
  
Truth to be told, the CEO was feeling a bit grouchy that Christmas Eve, despite the Christmas atmosphere that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. For some reason, the Christmas spirit just didn't seem to be very strong with him that year.  
  
As he continued through the cold weather, a familiar figure caught his eye up ahead. Plodding down the pavement in the opposite direction, golden Millennium Puzzle around his neck, was none other than Yugi Motou.  
  
Seto sighed.  
  
"Just what I need," he murmured to himself, noticing the boy's large grin as he spoke out loud, as if to someone who was invisible. "To run into Yugi."  
  
"Isn't the weather fun, Yami?" Yugi was saying aloud, to the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, who, unseen by Seto, was floating along beside his friend.  
  
"I suppose it looks nice enough," Yami replied, smiling down at Yugi. "Still a bit strange though."  
  
Determined NOT to let Yugi slow him down from getting home, Seto walked quickly as he approached the boy. Yugi laughed out loud, not noticing Seto at first, as he stepped on a slippery patch of ice, and started to skid.  
  
"Whoa!" Yugi cried as he fell to the icy pavement, the bottom of the Millennium Puzzle breaking off and shattering into at least two dozen pieces.  
  
Unseen by either of the two boys, a small piece of the golden puzzle flew toward Seto, and became stuck in the hem of his long, white coat. Yugi bit his lip, holding back tears as he frantically gathered up the cold pieces, now covered in snow and ice.  
  
Seto noticed the boy, scrambling frantically to pick up the pieces of his broken puzzle, and he stopped for a moment. The kind thing to do would be to help Yugi pick up his pieces and wait until he reassembled the puzzle, but...  
  
Seto sighed and looked at his watch. It was already getting late, and he wanted to be home. Mokuba would be expecting him and he didn't particularly want to be hanging around in the snow with Yugi.  
  
Giving it no more consideration, Seto continued on his way home, leaving Yugi to gather up the rest of his precious puzzle pieces.  
  
***********  
  
Later that evening, after Seto had tucked Mokuba in bed, the young boy dreaming about the mysterious presents that he would be opening the next day, Seto walked to his bedroom, and pulled off his white coat.  
  
To his surprise, however, as he pulled off the coat, a small clink was heard as something shiny and gold fell the ground. Curiously, he picked it up and examined it. It looked like a small bar of gold, like something one would find in a dollhouse.  
  
"How'd that get there?" he murmured, looking at it closely. "I didn't go to any toy stores today..."  
  
Then, he remembered. He's been walking by Yugi when the puzzle shattered, the gold pieces flying in all directions...  
  
"And one must have gotten caught in the hem of my coat," Seto murmured, walking over to his table and putting the piece down on it.  
  
He glared at the piece in annoyance. Now, he'd have to go return it. Probably soon, he thought to himself irritably, or Yugi will have a nervous breakdown about this piece.  
  
He glanced over at the clock, realizing it was already quite late, long past the hour when people would be ringing doorbells and walking down the street. With a determined sigh, he decided he would return it the next day, in the afternoon. After he and Mokuba had enjoyed most of their Christmas.  
  
Suddenly, however, a strange, cold wind blew into the room, causing Seto's bangs to flap up and down as he looked around, alert.  
  
"Who's there?" he called, slightly suspicious, as a blue glow formed over by the chair near the table with the puzzle piece on it.  
  
Slowly, much to Seto's amazement, a pale, bluish ghost appeared, sitting in the chair, staring at Seto with two very familiar-looking blue eyes. Seto gasped, recognizing the person as...  
  
"It's....me!" he cried, staring at what appeared to be a twin of himself.  
  
The ghost in the chair, however, shook his head sadly, looking seriously up at Seto.  
  
"It is not you, but I, your ancient self," The ghost replied. "I am the high priest of the 18th dynasty in ancient Eygpt; Seto."  
  
The real Seto raised an eyebrow.   
  
"This isn't real," he scoffed when he had found his voice. "There's no such thing as ghosts and spirits. You're probably just some strange creation in my imagination."  
  
The priest Seto looked seriously into his reincarnated-self's eyes.  
  
"Seto Kaiba, beware," he said in his hollow voice. "You must stay true to the Pharaoh. It is far better to be true, than to betray and pay the price."  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That's ridiculous," he muttered in reply. "Pharaoh? What nonsense is that?"  
  
Priest Seto continued to stare hollowly at his reincarnate.  
  
"Since you do not believe me, I give you this advice: You will be visited by three ghosts tonight. Three ghosts this night, and if you do not change your current path, and become true to the Pharaoh, you will suffer a similar fate to mine!"  
  
With this, there was a puff of blue smoke engulfed the spirit, and when it had cleared, the spirit had gone. Seto blinked, utterly confused and irritated by this sudden event.  
  
What HAD just happened? He wondered to himself. What was this about three ghosts going to visit him that night...  
  
Seto shook his head, cutting off his thoughts on the matter.  
  
"Ha, there's no such thing as a ghost," he murmured, pulling out his pajamas. "And there was no ghost just talking to me. I'm over-tired..."  
  
But even as he pulled on his pajamas and climbed into his bed, he couldn't help feel that there was some truth in the matter, but chose not to dwell on it. Instead, the boy fell fast asleep.  
  
**********  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
Okay! How was that? Interesting? Like it at all? I should update again in the next few days, but for now, REVIEW!  
  
"And if you like holiday stories, go to our profile and check out our other holiday fic, "Winter Wonderland." ^_~  
  
Thanks for reading, and come back soon! 


	2. Chapter 2: The Ghost of Christmas Past

Chapter Two: The Ghost of Christmas Past  
  
Notes: ^_^ Thanks for reviewing everyone. And the bottom few pieces fell off of the puzzle when Yugi dropped it, not just the last piece. ^-^;  
  
"And here's our chapter two."  
  
*************  
  
Chapter Two: The Ghost of Christmas Past  
  
  
  
Seto was sound asleep, the covers pulled up over his shoulders as the midnight struck on his digital clock beside his bed. The flashing red letters read 12:00 am, when suddenly, the windows burst open, letting in a blast of cold wind that ruffled the tip of Seto's head.  
  
"Hm?" he murmured, rolling over and opening his eyes a crack, noticing the open window and the curtains flying around in the wind.  
  
Groaning, he sat up in bed and fought the urge to stay under the warm covers. Sleepily, he stood up and walked over to the window and closed it again, causing the wind to stop blowing into his bedroom.  
  
He turned around and was about to go back to bed when he noticed the silvery outline of a person standing next to his bed. Seto jumped, startled, and gasped.  
  
"Who...who are you?!" he demanded. "And how did you get into my bedroom?"  
  
The silvery outline of a woman looked familiar, Seto realized, upon closer inspection. Her long dark hair was pushed back and two golden bands were braided into two strands of her hair that were in front, hanging down over her shoulders.  
  
"Wait...you're Ishizu..." Seto murmured, recognizing the figure as what LOOKED like Ishizu Ishtar, a woman who worked at the Domino Museum.  
  
Ishizu smiled a sad smile.  
  
"I am the ghost of the past," she whispered quietly. "And more specifically, Christmas past."  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow. ANOTHER ghost? Wait...hadn't that priest mentioned something about being visited by three ghosts? Was this one of the three...?  
  
Seto shook his head furiously, refusing to believe in illusions.  
  
"This is another one of your mind games, isn't it?" Seto snapped, narrowing his eyes at the woman. "You're not a ghost."  
  
Ishizu smirked.  
  
"But I am," she replied, floating over to him. "Now come, take my hand and I will show you scenes from your past."  
  
Seto backed away from Ishizu's ghost, feeling wary. He wasn't about to admit that she really existed, OR that she could show him his past. No, it was all just a mental trick!  
  
Ishizu continued to come forward, extending her hand.  
  
"Take my hand and I will show you scenes from your past..." she continued to say, reaching out quickly and grasping Seto's hand with her icy cold one.  
  
Seto was about to wrench his arm away, but the room suddenly turned bright white and began to fade away in a whirl of color.  
  
"What...what's going on?!" Seto cried, whirling around, trying to figure out what was happening, but the only thing visible was the ghostly outline of Ishizu beside him. "What are you doing?!"  
  
Ishizu's voice seemed mystified as the environment around she and Seto swirled around and slowly came to focus on the living room of the Kaiba Manor. Seto's eyes widened as he realized that he wasn't in the Kaiba Manor of today, but in the Kaiba Manor of several years ago.  
  
The huge tree was trimmed perfectly with silver garlands and only sparkly, round ornaments. The tree that was in their living room today had several homemade ornaments on it, most of which Mokuba had made at school and such.  
  
A few boxes were under the trees, and a younger-looking Mokuba was sitting under the low branches, admiring the flickering lights.  
  
"How...how did you do this?" Seto murmured in disbelief, Ishizu merely watching the scene play out.  
  
A younger-looking Seto walked forward, smiling at his brother. Mokuba got up quickly, causing the branches to rustle around.  
  
"Niisama!" he exclaimed, grinning up at his older brother. "Isn't the tree pretty?"  
  
The young Seto nodded.  
  
"It is," he replied, gazing up at the top, where a silver star was placed. "What's your favorite ornament?"  
  
Mokuba bit his lip softly as he scanned the ornaments.  
  
"That one!" he cried at last, pointing at a small ornament, a round ball with glittery silver stars on it. "It's my favorite."  
  
"I like that one too," Seto smiled, looking down at his brother lovingly.  
  
Young Seto smiled at his younger brother, when a servant of the house suddenly walked into the room, looking sternly at Seto and interrupting the two brother's conversation.  
  
"Master Seto, you have lessons to attend," he said in a harsh tone, pointing down the hallway.  
  
Mokuba's face fell as his brother sadly sighed and walked toward the door.  
  
"See you later, Mokuba," he called back as he disappeared around the corner to his lengthy lessons.  
  
The real Seto growled and clenched his fists, shaking in anger. Why was Ishizu playing with his head? Showing him things from his past? Was she the one who had made him believe that priest was in his room earlier as well? If so, what was her motive...?  
  
"In your past, you were innocent and carefree," Ishizu whispered. "But forced by others to lead a life which you did not wish to."  
  
  
  
"Just bring me back home," Seto snapped at the silvery outline of the woman. "I don't want to see anymore of this stuff."  
  
Ishizu looked at Seto strangely, and the room began to swirl again, and the scene changed to the top of a high tower on Duelist Kingdom island. Seto's eyes widened as he recognized the holographic monsters and the people standing atop the building.  
  
"This...this is the duel I fought in Duelist Kingdom against Yugi..." he muttered, scanning the scene.  
  
He was standing on the ledge of the tower, speaking to a shocked-looking Yugi. Yugi narrowed his eyes and ordered to attack. Tea rushed forward, tears streaming from her eyes as she called for Yugi to stop.  
  
The next minute, the monster has stopped attacking and Yugi was on his knees, crying as well. Seto raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the scene, and Ishizu's reasons for showing it.  
  
"Why are you showing me this?" he demanded, turning to the ghost-girl.  
  
Ishizu looked over at Seto seriously.  
  
"You caused that boy much pain during that duel," she explained.  
  
Seto huffed.  
  
True, he had threatened to commit suicide should Yugi win the duel, but it was because of Mokuba. His soul was at stake, and Seto wasn't going to let anything stop him from rescuing his little brother...  
  
But, of course, he wasn't about to explain this to a ghost of an Egyptian who didn't even really exist.  
  
  
  
"Enough with these visions," Seto muttered, turning away from both Ishizu and the scene. "Just let me go back home and leave me alone."  
  
Ishizu sighed, the images around them swirling together once again and coming to rest back in Seto's room, the window closed tightly.  
  
"You have been warned," Ishizu whispered, her ghostly form gone, and only her words echoing in the now empty room.  
  
For a moment, Seto merely stood there, clad in his pajamas and panting from all the traveling around in his memories of the past. Then, he took a breath and walked back over to his bed.  
  
"That didn't happen," he murmured, covering back up and attempting to go back to sleep.  
  
However, a nagging thought kept him awake for a while. The priest had said he would be visited by ghosts...  
  
THREE ghosts...  
  
************  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
So what did you think? Like it at all, still? ^-^ We're just getting warmed up! We'll update in a few days, but for now...  
  
REVIEW! 


	3. Chapter 3: The Ghost of Christmas Presen...

Chapter 3: The Ghost of Christmas Present  
  
Notes: ^_^ Thanks for reviewing, everyone.  
  
"Here we go with Chapter 3!"  
  
***********  
  
Seto had finally managed to drift off to sleep again, but he felt uneasy about everything now. Two supposed ghosts had visited him now and he had a feeling his supernatural night was far from over.  
  
As the clock chimed one in the morning, a sudden gust of wind blew through the room, not from the window this time, but from out of nowhere. Alerted, Seto sat up in bed, looking around suspiciously.  
  
"Come out!" he demanded, looking carefully around the room for any sign of a ghost of some sort....or anyone, for that matter.  
  
He looked right, and then left, scrutinizing the room with his gaze.  
  
"I know you're here!" he called, getting out of bed and slipping his slippers on. "Just come out and tell me what you're here for!"  
  
Suddenly, a similar blue glow appeared in front of him, just as had happened when Ishizu's "ghost" came to visit him, only this time, the shape of the person appearing looked slightly different...and very familiar.  
  
Seto's eyes widened as he recognized the figure.  
  
"Yugi!" he cried, backing away from the ghostly outline of the boy.  
  
It was Yugi all right, but not the scared Yugi he'd seen on the streets, frantically picking up his puzzle pieces. No, this Yugi looked like he was ready for a duel, his eyes narrowed in a strange manor, and his look, determined.  
  
"Kaiba," he addressed him sternly, glaring at the boy.  
  
Seto blinked.  
  
"Yugi?" he asked again, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Yami sighed, his shoulders sagging a tad.  
  
"I am not Yugi, Kaiba," he corrected the CEO with a sigh. "I am the other Yugi, Yami. The spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, and right now, the ghost of Christmas Present."  
  
Seto growled in irritation. If there was one thing he hated, it was supernatural talk, and now the appearance of three ghosts in one night was beginning to bug him.  
  
"I told Ishizu I don't believe in this ghost nonsense," Seto shot back at the spirit, narrowing his eyes. "I don't want to have anything to do with you, so just leave me alone."  
  
Yami sighed, clucking his tongue and shaking his head.  
  
"People like you never learn," he muttered, walking forward. "But I have things I must show you, so enough talking and let's go."  
  
Seto gaped at Yami, feeling ridiculous.  
  
"What do you mean, "let's go?" Seto demanded angrily, backing away from Yami even more. "I'm not going anywhere, especially not with you."  
  
Yami smirked, the role as ghost of Christmas Present not detracting from his usual spark.  
  
  
  
"That is where you are wrong, Kaiba," he declared, forcefully taking Seto's hand, and in a flash of blue light, the two disappeared from Seto's warm bedroom.  
  
***********  
  
There was a flash of bright blue light outside in the snow-covered front yard of Yugi's house, and Seto and Yami appeared, Seto yanking his hand away from Yami's cold, ghostly one.  
  
"How did you do that?" Seto murmured, looking around, feeling awkward being outside in the snow in his pajamas and slippers. "And where are we?"  
  
Yami sighed, looking in the window of the Game Shop, Yugi's home, where a light was on in the den.  
  
"We're outside Yugi's home," Yami replied, looking in the window sadly. "Come, this is what I've brought you to see."  
  
Seto narrowed his eyes in thought, walking over to the window and next to Yami, the cold snow crunching under his slippers. Almost curious, Seto peered in the window to see the little spiky-haired boy sitting at a desk, a frantic look in his eyes, a phone pressed up to his ear.  
  
"Joey? Yeah, I know it's late," Yugi was saying in a slurred rush. "But I've lost a piece of my Millennium Puzzle!"  
  
Seto felt a small pang of guilt for not having at least called to mention that he had the piece in his custody. Now look, Seto thought to himself. He's frantically calling all his friends, wondering where it could be.  
  
"What Millennium Puzzle!?" Yugi cried, feeling as if he were talking to a robot rather than his best friend. "MY MILLENNIUM PUZZLE THAT I ALWAYS WEAR AROUND MY NECK!"  
  
A few seconds passed, during which time Yugi sucked in deep, calming breaths. Around his neck was the almost completed Millennium Puzzle, just one small piece on the side missing from the thing.  
  
"Yes, that Millennium Puzzle," Yugi snapped, feeling rather irritated. "You haven't seen it? Are you sure?"   
  
Yugi sighed, his shoulders sagging as he slumped down farther into the seat.  
  
"Okay..." he murmured. "Thanks anyway, Joey. Merry Christmas."  
  
With that, the sad boy hung up the phone, feeling miserable. Sadly, with tears streaming down his cheeks, he rested his elbows on the desk and put his chin in his hands.  
  
"Without that last piece I'll never be able to finish the puzzle," Yugi muttered out-loud to himself. "I'll never be able to talk to Yami again...NEVER again!"  
  
With that, sniffling, the boy laid his head in his arms, feeling sorry for himself, and feeling as though he had failed in his journey to help Yami recover his lost memory.  
  
Now, because of Yugi's clumsiness, he'd never find it...nor ever be awakened again!  
  
Seto bit his lip, turning away from the scene.  
  
"Take me back home," he muttered to Yami, trying to push everything he had just seen and heard out of his mind.  
  
Other people's problems had never bothered him before, so why should they now? He'd return it tomorrow...  
  
Yami sighed, feeling sorry for his reincarnate as he snapped his fingers.  
  
"Be warned, Kaiba," Was the ghost's last echoing words, which faded away as Seto was returned to his bedroom.  
  
Seto shook his head, feeling confused and exhausted. Were all these ghosts merely illusions from him being overtired? Yes, that was it, he thought to himself as he climbed back in bed for the third time.  
  
"Just illusions..."  
  
************  
  
End of Chapter 3  
  
^_^ Review!  
  
"XD Please do! And next chapter up soon. In the meantime, however, if you liked this fic, read my other Christmas fic, "Winter Wonderland." It's also a winter action/comedy." 


	4. Chapter 4: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to...

Chapter 4: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  
  
Notes: ^_^ Okay, sorry this chapter took longer than the others, but hey, I got it up before Christmas, didn't I?  
  
"^_~ Yeah, yeah, let's get on with it, SK. Okay, thanks SO much for reviewing everyone. ^^ And here's Chapter 4!"  
  
**********  
  
Chapter Four: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  
  
Seto tossed and turned in his sleep, feeling uneasy about his entire Christmas Eve. First, he'd ran into Yugi in the streets, wound up with the only missing puzzle piece of his prized Millennium Puzzle, and been visited by three ghosts: One who claimed to be his ancient self, one who claimed to be a strange Egyptian curator, and the last who claimed to be the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, all telling him to return the missing puzzle piece, or else.  
  
"What next?" he murmured in his sleep, wondering if he could just make it through the night without anymore supernatural encounters.  
  
Suddenly, however, a dark shadow fell over his bedroom, and a chill ran through the room as well, blowing the covers right off of the sleeping boy, causing him to open an eye.  
  
"What in the world?" Seto murmured, sitting up in his bed, which was beginning to fade away as he sat there, his room swirling in blackness and eeriness, as if he were being transported, again, to another place.  
  
"WHO'S DOING THIS?!" Seto cried, feeling insecure as he suddenly found himself sitting in a snow-pile in the middle of someone's backyard, on a very dark and dreary day.  
  
The trees stretched out their black and dead branches above, and the sky was dark and cloudy, as if threatening to thunderstorm any minute. As Seto stood up, brushing snow from the bottom of his pajamas, he caught sight of a small and familiar boy, bending down near a gray rock of some sort that was protruding out of the snow.  
  
Suddenly, a dark figure standing near the side of the house caught his eye, and Seto turned sharply to face the figure.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded, biting his lip as the dark figure merely stretched out his hand and pointed toward the boy near the rock.  
  
Unsure, Seto walked forward, biting his lip.  
  
"What now?" he murmured to himself.  
  
Seto walked closer, narrowing his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. As he neared the boy, he gasped as he recognized the figure as none other than Yugi Motou!  
  
A very depressed and sad-looking Yugi Motou, however, he realized as the boy knelt down near the stone poking out of the snow. The boy looked similar to the way he did in the present, but a bit taller, and much more depressed-looking than Seto had ever seen him.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry," The boy murmured, putting down a flower on the snow in front of the gray rock as Seto walked up behind the boy. "It's all my fault, I know..."  
  
Seto gasped as he suddenly noticed the inscription on the rock that he now recognized as a gravestone.  
  
~Here lies the remains of a dear friend~  
  
That was all the inscription said, but it was enough to make Seto realize what it was. Yugi, never able to complete the Millennium Puzzle, had most likely buried the puzzle and set up a grave for his now long-lost friend.  
  
"No!" Seto cried, trying to reach out and grab Yugi's shoulders as the boy turned around, his face tear-streaked, to walk back to the house, to no avil.  
  
He merely fell right through Yugi's body, as if he, Seto, were a ghost to him!  
  
"What's going on?!" Seto cried, turning around to face Yugi's back. "Yugi! I have your puzzle piece! It got caught in my coat! Your friend isn't gone! He...!"  
  
Seto trailed off as the dark figure walked over to Seto, his face covered with a dark shadow of some sort. Seto backed away, not wanting to get involved with whoever it was that could see him, when no one else could.  
  
"Who are you?" Seto asked, despite his resistance. "And why can't Yugi see me?"  
  
The dark shadow seemed to vanish from the man's face as he looked into Seto's blue eyes with his hard, black ones. Seto raised his eyebrows, nervous, as he recognized the figure from a painting on one of the castle walls at Duelist Kingdom.  
  
The man had dark skin and a white turban around his head, and long white robes, but it seemed despite the light color, he was a dark figure...and most likely another ghost haunting the CEO.  
  
"I am Shadi, ghost of Christmas yet to come," The man murmured, his voice cold and dark. "You are a ghost as well, Seto Kaiba. Yugi Motou cannot see you for that reason."  
  
Seto gritted his teeth, beginning to get angry.  
  
"I'm NOT a ghost!" he cried, as the scene around his began to swirl, and change into a sort of graveyard.  
  
Seto blinked, looking around as he suddenly noticed a small boy, tears running down his cheeks as he walked away from a grave. Fearfully, Seto walked over the boy, who he recognized as Mokuba, his younger brother!  
  
"Mokuba!" Seto cried, wondering what had his younger brother so upset. "Mokuba, it's me!"  
  
Mokuba, however, deaf to Seto's cries, continued walking toward the exit of the lonely cemetery. Seto, feeling a sting come to his eyes, turned around and noticed Shadi standing by the grave Mokuba had come from.  
  
Dreading to know what lay ahead, Seto walked slowly toward the grave until he came within reading distance of the inscription on it. His eyes widened, filled with horror as he read the name.  
  
~Seto Kaiba~  
  
"No..." he whispered, backing up, feeling horrified. "No...NO! That's not true! I'm not dead!" he yelled, although he didn't know what good it would do him.   
  
Shadi turned to look at Seto with his cold, hard face.  
  
"You ARE dead, Seto Kaiba," he replied coldly, narrowing his eyes at the boy. "You kept putting off returning that puzzle piece and kept putting it off, until one day, you were outside in the snow, looking around for your younger brother."  
  
"NO!" Seto yelled, squeezing his eyes shut, not wanting to hear anymore lies.   
  
He knew he wasn't dead. He COULDN'T be dead! After all, hadn't just a second before he'd been in bed at home?  
  
"Yes," Shadi insisted, walking toward him, his words bearing down on Seto as he continued. "You were attacked by a possessed student, and killed. Had you returned that piece, things would have been different. Had you only listened, things would have been different."  
  
  
  
"I'M NOT DEAD!" Seto screamed, backing away from Shadi, but suddenly, a huge, dark pit appeared behind him, and Seto, unknowingly, stepped in.  
  
Luckily, as he fell, he caught onto a root that was sticking out of the top of the hole, and clung to it as Shadi's form appeared above the hole, looking down at him with the cold eyes.  
  
"You failed to head the warnings given," Shadi replied coldly as Seto felt his grasp on the root slipping. "You failed everyone, and betrayed the Pharaoh. And it was all...your...fault..."  
  
"Nooo!" Seto cried as his hand slipped off the root and he fell, down, down, further and further down the deep, dark abyss.  
  
**********  
  
"Nooo!!" Seto screamed, bolting up in bed, sweat dripping down his forehead and down his cheeks as he panted, looking around his room.  
  
Dim, early-morning light streamed in through the windows of his room, and onto his bed. A bird chirped outside and Seto looked down at his hands.  
  
"I'm not dead..." he repeated to himself, as if to reassure himself. "It was...a dream. All a dream."  
  
Smiling, he looked around the room, realizing everything was still the same. No ghosts, no graves, no snow, no nothing. Just a normal bedroom...  
  
As he scanned his room, his eyes suddenly fell on the golden piece of the Millennium Puzzle that was laid out on the table, still. It glinted in the sunlight, and Seto bit his lip, jumping out of bed and grabbing the piece.  
  
"It's not that I believe in dreams giving messages," Seto assured himself as he ran downstairs and out the front door, in his pajamas, robe and slippers still. "But...no reason not to be safe..."  
  
He ran down the empty streets, hardly anyone out, which was probably a good thing too, Seto thought to himself, only just then becoming aware of his attire.  
  
Hurrying down the streets, as if he were being timed, Seto finally caught sight of the Game Shop and hurried up to the front stoop, where he tapped quickly on the door, biting his lip.  
  
"Answer, answer," he murmured, the cold piece of the Millennium Puzzle still clasped tightly in his right hand as he heard a rustle front inside the house.  
  
A moment later, the door opened and a very weary and tired-looking Yugi, clad in light blue star-printed pajamas stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes, as if he had just woken up.  
  
"K...Kaiba?" he muttered, looking up at the CEO, who looked anxious. "Is something the matter?"  
  
Seto held out his hand, giving the piece of the Millennium Puzzle out to Yugi, who looked puzzled at first, and then delighted.  
  
"It was caught in my coat yesterday, when you broke it on the sidewalk,"  
  
Seto explained as Yugi took the piece, his face shining brightly as he grinned.  
  
"The puzzle piece!" he exclaimed, feeling his heart soar. "Oh, thanks Kaiba!"  
  
Seto looked down at the ground, glad to have given back the piece, but now feeling awkward, standing on the front step of the Game Shop in his pajamas on Christmas morning.  
  
"I should have called last night," Seto muttered, turning around. "I'm glad you got it back, though."  
  
Yugi grinned happily, looking down at his piece and then back up at Seto as he started to walk away.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Kaiba! Thanks again!" he called after the boy, waving as Seto walked down the sidewalks.  
  
"Merry Christmas..." Seto replied automatically, slowing down a little as he spoke the words.  
  
~Merry Christmas...~  
  
All of the sudden, as Seto stopped in the snow, and he smiled. It was as if something inside of him sudden turned on, and the spirit of Christmas finally dawned on him that year.  
  
Still smiling, Seto broke into a run and hurried back toward Kaiba Manor, eager for Mokuba to wake up, so the two could spend their Christmas together, just as Yugi and his reunited friend would.   
  
Yes, it would be a very Merry Christmas that day...for everyone.  
  
***********  
  
END  
  
^_^! What'd you think?! -SK  
  
"Review and let us know! ^_^ That's all for this story, but we've still got more Christmas stuff ahead in "Winter Wonderland." And if you don't read that story, then Merry Christmas! from both of us!" -Red Archery Girl  
  
^_~ Yep! -SK 


End file.
